Shopping Costco w/o a Membership

[jnw]

I read you can shop Costco without a membership if you have a Costco Gift (Shop) Card.  An existing member must purchase it for you but once you have it, do you really have access to ALL of the membership features?  Do you end up paying 5% more in person using the shop card without a membership?  I know you pay 5% more online at costco.com w/o a membership.

I also heard if when you are checking out, you go over the balance of what's on the gift card, the cashier lets you pay the rest with your credit/debit card.

So say you only shop there say every other month.  Wouldn't it make sense to have a friend buy you say six $10 shop/gift cards?   Reimburse friend the $60 and just hold onto those six cards and you are good for the rest of the year.  (EDIT: I just found out that the minimum gift card is $25.)

Is it that simple? 

Can one buy a shop/gift card w/o a membership if using a shop/gift card to do so?

Does Costco offer free 90 day trial membership like Sam's Club does?   Use for 90 days, then cancel after buying a few shop cards.  Then 6 months to 9 months later sign up for another free 90 day trial?  rinse repeat.

I think paying money to have the privelage of buying stuff from them is a silly.  I cancelled my Amazon Prime membership recently and not missing it.

[ditheca]

Trying to figure out how to exploit possibly the only grocery provider in the country with a good reputation isn't frugal, it's cheap.

If you don't agree with a company's business practices, don't do business with them.

[Dicey]

We always get way more back in rebates than the price of the membership, so it's a no-brainer. Also, Costco has paid my brother and all the rest of their temployees a living wage since they began the business. That is huge.

[jnw]

Trying to figure out how to exploit possibly the only grocery provider in the country with a good reputation isn't frugal, it's cheap.

If you don't agree with a company's business practices, don't do business with them.

If they allow it, then I am fine with it.  They are getting interest free loans with gift cards.  And often people lose the cards and they profit from it.  I agree with their business practice because obviously they left an opportunity for the small time buyers, like myself, to come to purchase a few things using their gift cards; I'm thinking it was deliberate.

[jnw]

We always get way more back in rebates than the price of the membership, so it's a no-brainer. Also, Costco has paid my brother and all the rest of their temployees a living wage since they began the business. That is huge.

I've never really shopped there and compared prices.  Just interested in checking it out but don't want to pay the $60.

Good to know they are a decent company.

[jnw]

I probably wouldn't buy more than $200 of stuff per year from them.  So a membership would be quite expensive and not worth it.  I see nothing unethical at all about doing the gift card thing if I am not going to shop there often, they at least get the interest free loan from me as well as chance I could lose the card.

I have a good local discount grocer for all my meats, which have much better deals than any big name chain at 30-60% cheaper.  Beats Sams, Walmart, Aldi, Costco etc.. I shop at Aldi, Walmart and Sams depending on what has the best price. I  keep a price book.  Costco would just be for a few select items which happen to be a better value than all the other stores I shop at. 

If they didn't offer this gift card route, then they would simply not get ANY shopping from  me, no interest free loan for gift card and no opportunity for me to lose their gift cards to profit off of me that way.  So by me "exploiting" their system, it only would benefit us both.

[jnw]

I'll go in the store and check out the prices. If they are very good then I might see about paying the $60 for the membership fee.  But they gotta beat most things in my price book, which might be hard even with their discounts.. we'll see.

Not doing very well with their website search at costco.com.  I search on "pork loin" and it says "We were not able to find a match"...  Sam's club has several matches for "pork loin".. both singles and by the case.. both with bone in (baby back ribs) and not.

So it looks like I am going to have to step into the store to actually see what's there unlike samsclub.com which has everything listed with prices which match prices in store.

I am not logged into the costco.com web site because I don't have a membership with them.  They are only offering "delivery".. i see no option for "pickup".

I'll try creating an online account without membership and see if I can see more.

EDIT: okay so I am logged in now and still get the following for search on "pork loin":  We were not able to find a match.  Do they really not sell whole pork loins?

EDIT #2:  Dang.. $22.99 for 100 finish pods.. 22.9 cents per wash.  I thought $17.99 at sam's club was horrific enough.    Getting horrible search results for various meats.   Do I need to go into the store to see what's up? The selection and prices look pretty bad online.

[Dicey]

The prices in-warehouse are almost always less than the website. However, online prices often include shipping, so it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Costco is a membership model. The prices are for members. Creating an account without a membership isn't going to give you full access to the true pricing, nor should it, IMO.

While you're comparing prices, don't forget to consider differences in quality. Also compare gas prices. The savings on gas alone can tilt the balance. Oh, and if you eat hot dogs, the $1.50 dog and refillable soda combo is hard to beat.

[getsorted]

I probably wouldn't buy more than $200 of stuff per year from them.  So a membership would be quite expensive and not worth it.  I see nothing unethical at all about doing the gift card thing if I am not going to shop there often, they at least get the interest free loan from me as well as chance I could lose the card.

I agree. I bought a membership last year and the store credit card, but even with the gas discount and rebates, the membership didn't pay for itself, and it wasn't a money saver for me vs. Aldi and a local discount grocer.

However-- there are a few things I will buy before it expires, including my son's allergy meds, toilet paper, and some laundry soap.

My unethical hack is asking my sister to pick something up for me from time to time!

I also just hate shopping there. It's sensory overload for some reason.

[billygoatjohnson]

Trying to figure out how to exploit possibly the only grocery provider in the country with a good reputation isn't frugal, it's cheap.

If you don't agree with a company's business practices, don't do business with them.

LOL. If the company ALLOWS it and makes money off him....
It's not some genius loop hole.

I.think you are on the wrong forums. This is MMM.

[BC_Goldman]

Membership isn't always required for gas. I periodically get gas at the one by me if I'm in the area and have never been asked to show membership card (we've had a membership off and on).

[yachi]

Creating an account without a membership isn't going to give you full access to the true pricing, nor should it, IMO.

Not sure I agree.  If it's such a good deal, they should put the information out there to draw members.  I'm not paying an up front membership fee just to see if there's a way I can save money.  We went to Sam's Club once with my sister in law, and some things were good prices - but some of what we bought lasted more than a year, so we wouldn't be able to replicate the savings every year.  We shop store brand staples at a local grocer and buy near-date snacks at a local surplus grocer.

[HipGnosis]

I'll go in the store and check out the prices. If they are very good then I might see about paying the $60 for the membership fee.  But they gotta beat most things in my price book, which might be hard even with their discounts.. we'll see.

I'm pretty sure (can't find confirmation online) that I called and confirmed; you CAN visit a Costco and see what they have and their prices.  Go to the membership counter and tell them you want to look around for membership consideration.  You just can't shop w/o membership (except prescriptions and eye glasses in some states).  They do not have everything a 'regular grocery store' has.
You can cancel an annual membership and the remaining 'time' of the membership will be refunded.  So, you could join, shop, stock up and cancel the membership.  I'm thinking of doing this.  Kinda need a freezer to make it practical.  But that could be p/o my first purchase!

[jnw]

You can cancel an annual membership and the remaining 'time' of the membership will be refunded.  So, you could join, shop, stock up and cancel the membership.  I'm thinking of doing this.  Kinda need a freezer to make it practical.  But that could be p/o my first purchase!

I think I read they have a very good satisfaction guarantee: they refund 100% of the membership cost even on the 364th day of membership.

[GilesMM]

The prices in-warehouse are almost always less than the website. However, online prices often include shipping, so it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Costco is a membership model. The prices are for members. Creating an account without a membership isn't going to give you full access to the true pricing, nor should it, IMO.

While you're comparing prices, don't forget to consider differences in quality. Also compare gas prices. The savings on gas alone can tilt the balance. Oh, and if you eat hot dogs, the $1.50 dog and refillable soda combo is hard to beat.

In many Costco shops one can eat at the cafeteria without showing a membership card.


The membership fee is worth the gas savings alone in our area.  We also find the meat is superior to what the other local stores offer.  Costco is also known for savings on pharmacy, eyeglasses, hearing aids, wine, travel, tires, and for their amazing return policy on most stuff.

[charis]

You can cancel an annual membership and the remaining 'time' of the membership will be refunded.  So, you could join, shop, stock up and cancel the membership.  I'm thinking of doing this.  Kinda need a freezer to make it practical.  But that could be p/o my first purchase!

I think I read they have a very good satisfaction guarantee: they refund 100% of the membership cost even on the 364th day of membership.

Then why wouldn't you just get the membership and cancel if it doesn't end up being worth the cost (with rebates or whatever). 

The other option is to just test out your question.  Ask a member to buy you a gift card and shop there once.  The potential higher cost isn't a big deal if you don't end up getting the benefits.

[ohsnap]

Membership isn't always required for gas. I periodically get gas at the one by me if I'm in the area and have never been asked to show membership card (we've had a membership off and on).

Really?! What state are you in? I've purchased gas in many TX, AZ, CO, and CA Costcos and have *always* had to swipe a membership card to even get the pump started.

[BC_Goldman]

NJ, where we can't legally pump our own gas, so that might have something to do with it.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I don't think the warehouse shows you what's in the store, and they do not have pickup. I think it could be smart to have your friend get you some gift cards so you can see if they have things that you like and if you enjoy the Costco shopping experience. It is quite singular and not for everyone. I agree that you should get your own membership if you do really enjoy it but gift cards could be a good way to try it out!

[Dicey]

I don't think the warehouse shows you what's in the store, and they do not have pickup. I think it could be smart to have your friend get you some gift cards so you can see if they have things that you like and if you enjoy the Costco shopping experience. It is quite singular and not for everyone. I agree that you should get your own membership if you do really enjoy it but gift cards could be a good way to try it out!

As has been mentioned previously,  a membership is not required for entry. You can literally tell the door attendant you just want to look around. In CA, anyone can use the pharmacy, so that's an easy way in.

[kenner]

Just confirming that you can shop at Costco with a gift card but no membership, a manager will just have to put in their key/code at the register.  I'm generally not a fan of tying up money in gift cards at this point unless there's a specific purchase in mind, but a couple years ago I knew I was going to be getting new tires for my car when the winter ones came off, and since my membership was going to run up before spring (and for me a membership has never been worth it for 'regular' purposes, I think I'd gotten it originally for a new range that time), I got a couple hundred in gift cards and then bought the tires when it was time.  Used up the last on gas and wine as I recall and didn't have a problem with either since the pumps would accept a membership or a gift card, and then inside it was just a manager with a code.

[englishteacheralex]

I'm a pretty huge Costco fan because I live in Hawaii and it's one of the only places to reliably get reasonably priced groceries.

Their website is terrible and you can't really bother with it for pricing info on something like pork loin. There's just too much regional variation in prices and availability for them to have a good website of warehouse prices. 

I'd definitely suggest going to a Costco and comparing prices to your price book. Remember that the quality of the groceries at Costco is typically superior to many other options, so sometimes the value is better there (though the price might not be).

I absolutely love this guy's Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@thedealguy; he reviews everything new at Costco every month and tells you what all the good deals are and how they stack up with other major retailers. He does this for other retailers as well.

[Cassie]

Winco is much cheaper than Costco but they aren’t in very many states. For me personally it’s not worth it.

[jnw]

Winco is much cheaper than Costco but they aren’t in very many states. For me personally it’s not worth it.

There's a Winco here.  They have great prices on frozen blueberries here. 2 lb bags for $3.98 -- we buy like 5 bags at a time (we only eat berries here for fruit since they are high in fiber and low in sugar).  I still have to go visit inside of it. It's near where my BF works and he always picks up the blueberries there.

I'll go visit Winco and then Costco right after. They are pretty close to each other here.